A Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Jeffrey Lee Hancock Jr., 41, from the Braddock neighborhood, received a 100-month sentence after being convicted of these offenses.
The sentencing took place on September 2, 2025, with United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV presiding over the case. The charges stemmed from an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police.
According to court records, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hancock’s home on April 25, 2024. During the search, Hancock attempted to dispose of evidence by throwing a bag containing about 50 bricks of fentanyl out of a second-story window. Inside the residence, investigators found another 200 bricks of fentanyl, $2,902 in cash, and two handguns. Due to previous felony convictions, Hancock was prohibited from possessing firearms. He admitted to conspiring to distribute between 280 and 400 grams of fentanyl.
Before announcing the sentence, Judge Stickman described Hancock as a “recidivist drug trafficker and illegal gun user” who participated in “poisoning our community” through “the dark and dangerous drug trade.” Judge Stickman added that the sentence “reflects the serious nature of Hancock’s crimes and should signal to others that a ‘career of crime [will be] met with stiff federal time.’”
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted the case for the government.
Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti praised both agencies involved: “I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police for their investigation leading to this successful prosecution.”
